Out In The Open
by AllusionToAnIllusion
Summary: He wasn't supposed to be there, neither was she. But now they're both there, together.
1. Surprise, Surprise

**A/N: So this is my own story about how they will reunite after the season two finale. Writing a fic for this is kind of a right of passage these days, so I decided to tackle it. Remember, reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Castle_ or its characters, if I did Castle wouldn't be off in the Hamptons with Gina in the first place.**

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He shoved his cell phone into his pocket and jumped out of the comfortable seat he had come to despise over the last month. That chair that sat behind his desk was his doorway to new worlds, ones brimming with mystery and adventure. It was an ever-present sign of his writing. Currently writing meant Nikki Heat, and Nikki Heat undeniably meant thinking about Kate. He had been doing that a lot lately, thinking about Kate and he was tired of it. Well, he was only sick of thinking about her with Demming or how she was probably glad to be rid of him for the summer. Other than that thinking about Kate brought inspiration to write and a constant smile to his face. But he had finished Naked Heat yesterday and unless he wanted to he didn't have to think about Kate for the next two months. In fact, maybe he would be too busy to think about her, or at least the part of her life he didn't like to be reminded of. He knew, of course, that that was complete bullshit. Sure he'd be busy, but no matter how busy he was he would never stop thinking about her, and when he said her he meant everything about her.

But for now he could try, so he ran out of the study at full speed radiating excitement as he descended the stairs of his summer house looking for his girls. Alexis had decided that she wanted to come back from the summer program; her exact words were that she wasn't learning enough there so it was basically a waste of time. And mother had declined the role as soon as she realized that she was playing a very old woman with dementia, which was not how she pictured her summer going. Now they had both joined him at the summerhouse, which thankfully had sent Gina packing. She had said she had no desire to be part of his little family again and off she went. Gina had been satisfied with his progress and told him as long as he got the book done by the deadline she would be satisfied. Her departure was a giant relief; since they got to the house all she had done was nag him to get writing. Once she even locked him in his study and took the key with her saying she wouldn't let him out until he finished Naked Heat. If he hadn't climbed out of the window and swiped the key from her when she wasn't looking he was pretty sure she would have let him die in there.

Finding his mother in the kitchen fixing a martini, which was no surprise even though it was only noon, he sprinted towards her to envelope her in a hug.

"Guess who can stay for the party!" he screamed in her face while jumping up and down like the child he was at heart. Upon their return Alexis and Martha had decided they were going to throw a Fourth of July cookout. Due to the fact that he thought he would be alone for July 4th he had made plans with the Heat Wave movie producers to discuss the script and casting ideas in Los Angeles. In fact, he was supposed to be leaving in about five minutes for the airport, but the producers had just called him and said that the meeting had been postponed until August due to some minor complications he needn't worry about.

"Darling don't yell in my face, that's all I need. And I thought you were on your way to good old California to meet with the producers of the Nikki Heat movie?" She was making good headway on that martini and by the looks of it would need another one relatively soon.

"Nope," he was barely containing his glee, "they cancelled. So now I get to spend the fourth with everyone. Speaking of everyone, who's coming? He knew Alexis had invited everyone from the precinct to come, so he had high hopes that meant Kate was planning to show up. He really missed her, even if she probably didn't miss him.

"Well," she replied, "your little writer buddies didn't think you were going to be here so they declined. But everyone from the precinct is coming down to spend the weekend. Minus Detective Beckett, she said she had something to do." His heart sank at that, he had hoped that he would get to see her this weekend. After all she had seemed a little off when he last left the precinct, he wanted to see if she was all right. But who was he kidding; she didn't want to spend the weekend with him. Not when she was probably going somewhere with Demming and she would prefer a nice weekend with her boyfriend than with him, she had made that clear.

He realized his mother had left the room when he came back from his thoughts; probably got tired of watching him think in silence. He opened the door to the porch to go and find Alexis who had said she was going to go for a swim but heard a noise coming from the driveway. A noise that sounded a lot like a car engine, his first guest had arrived. Bounding to the door he peeked through the window to see who it was, maybe it was the boys. He had certainly missed them, when you live in a house full of women guy talk is greatly appreciated. But as he gazed out into the driveway he recognized Lanie's figure exiting the car. Then he saw someone else exit the car with her, did she bring a new boyfriend? No, although their back was to the house the mystery person was undoubtedly female, a friend maybe? Then it hit him, he hadn't realized it before because he was so unaccustomed to seeing her with anything but work clothes on, but it was unmistakably her. Those extremely long legs, the luscious curves of her body, the slightly wavy shoulder-length brunette hair; they were all traits of Kate Beckett. He flung the door open and stood completely confused on the front porch.

"Beckett?" he called out to her, pleading for it to be her and not just his imagination. She turned towards him, eyes wide with surprise. Oh yes it was her, and she was beautiful. Completely gorgeous in everyway he decided as his eyes ran down her body taking in everything that she was, he felt like they had been apart forever. She was wearing a dark green sundress that hugged her body in all the right places. His eyes immediately returned to hers when she spoke, "Castle?"


	2. Stay Strong

**To all you Americans reading this, happy Fourth of July! Just as a little present for the birth of America I posted two chapters. But seriously, I love reviews. They feed my inner writer and make her happy, and we all know what a happy writer means right? Exactly, faster updates. So get to it! **

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Her weekend getaway had just turned into a nightmare, full of horror and the reminder of her heartbreak. Watching him leave with his slut of an ex-wife clinging to him was bad enough, now she had to experience their relationship at full force. She knew she was just staring at him but no sound would come out of her mouth, not that she knew what she would say to him. He always did bring out two opposite sides in her, and now was no different. She was torn between sprinting into his arms and hugging him tightly, and pulling out her gun to shoot him. As she pulled herself together she decided either of those options would not work out in her favor and instead just decided on talking.

"Castle, what the hell are you doing here?" Immediately after she asked the question she knew it was wrong. This was his house, why wouldn't he be here? Nobody could ever get her this flustered; she hated it. And by the look of his smirk he knew just how caught off guard she was. But instead of embarrassing her further by bringing it up he seemed to ignore it.

"I assume you mean to ask why I'm not in California?" at her nod he continued, "The movie producers cancelled. Now I know I am unbelievably handsome, but are you going to stare at me all day or do you plan to come in?" And there it was, the teasing. But instead being embarrassed or mad she felt at home. At home in a way she hadn't over the last month, the teasing brought with it a familiarity that she desperately missed.

She advanced towards the house, towards him, with her weekend bag safely tucked under her arm. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lanie shutting the trunk of the car and running to her side, she was going to kill her. She was the only reason she was here. When Martha had first called to invite her down she initially refused, not wanting to spend an entire weekend with Castle and Gina all over each other. But Lanie had begged her to come, saying it would be no fun without her. This was entirely untrue, she hadn't exactly been the life of the party since Castle left, but when Lanie mentioned that Castle wouldn't even be there she had agreed to go. And now she had arrived for the party and whom did she find? The exact person she was trying so desperately to avoid.

But it's not like she could leave now, that would look extremely suspicious. Besides she had come with Lanie, so if Lanie wasn't leaving neither was she. And that evil woman would never let her leave, saying she was going to have to face Castle at some point so why couldn't it be now? Because she didn't want it to be now, it was too soon, too scary.

"Wow Castle," she realized she and Lanie had already made it inside the house as Lanie spoke, "you got quite a place here." Being so focused on Castle before she hadn't even taken a look around the room, and now that she did she saw that it was beautiful. Shining marble floors turned into tan walls as her eyes drifted upwards and finally a gorgeous chandelier came into view. Looking to her left she saw a magnificent staircase ascending to the second floor where she could see multiple rooms coming off of the hallway. Bright flowers popped against the neutral tones of the room; despite Castle's personality the house was very sophisticated and elegant.

"Yeah, I bought this place right before I married Gina. I wanted a place where I could just get away from the city and relax. Alexis and I both love the beach, so this place seemed perfect." He said grinning at the memory.

Now that her attention was turned back to him she was surprised she hadn't noticed that his attire was much different than it was at the precinct. He was wearing light khaki shorts and a blue t-shirt that she noticed made his already bright eyes piercing. She had to say, this was a great look for him.

"So, where is Gina anyway?" She just couldn't resist asking, plus he had sort of brought her up so it wasn't that uncomfortable. Thankfully he didn't seem to notice the venomous way she said his ex-wife's name.

"Oh," he replied, "she took off after Alexis and mother came to stay with me. She said my progress on the book was satisfactory so she was no longer needed here to keep me in line. You should've seen her while she was here, I swear that woman is impossible." Her mood immediately lightened at his response. She wouldn't have to watch Gina cling to him the entire weekend; in fact they weren't even a couple. They were just a novelist and his publisher, and nothing could have made her happier. She reminded herself not to be too overjoyed; he still left her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a very wet, very excited teenage running full speed for her. Before she could blink she was embraced in a bone-crushing hug while Alexis squealed in excitement. Getting over her shock she wrapped her arms around the girl and chuckled to herself.

"Hi Alexis," she said through her giggles, "how much sugar have you had today?" The teen quickly looked up at her, a giant grin plastered onto her face.

"None, I'm just so happy to see you. This weekend is going to be great! Dad's a great smore maker and we haven't used the fire pit yet this summer." Alexis was practically bouncing as she said this, then the teen seemed to calm down abruptly and looked at her dad accusingly.

"What? I didn't do anything." He defended himself, taking in her expression and obviously wondering what he did wrong.

"Exactly," the young girl told her very perplexed father, "they're still holding their bags. You didn't show them to their rooms yet." She burst out into another round of chuckles, Alexis was definitely the more mature of the two. She absolutely adored the relationship of the two people standing in front of her; they were so close and very protective of one another. She knew if anything happened to Alexis that Castle wouldn't know what to do and vice versa.

Suddenly she was being ushered up the staircase she had been admiring earlier while Castle waltzed off into another room. Lanie was following close behind her so she took the opportunity to address the reason for her being in this mess.

"I'm going to kill you." She hissed and then ran to catch up with Alexis who was waiting at the top of the stairs. A quick look back and she found an amused Lanie walking along behind her laughing quietly to herself. Alexis gave them a quick tour of the second floor and sent them off to unpack in their rooms. She was pleased to note that her room was one of the farthest from Castle's, she didn't think she could bear it if she was reminded each night that he was sleeping in the next room. That thought alone might break her, and she had to stay strong. That being said she set her bag on the bed and mentally prepared herself for the rest of the weekend, this was going to be torture.


	3. Layers

Kate had been up there for 45 minutes, what the hell could she be doing? Lanie had emerged from her room not 15 minutes after Alexis came bounding down the stairs saying that the two women were currently getting settled in and that she couldn't wait for tonight. Shortly after Kate and Lanie had went upstairs everyone else had arrived as well. He could tell Ryan and Esposito were a little shocked to find that his "cottage" was basically a mansion, but had quickly made themselves at home in his kitchen with some beers. Montgomery on the other hand didn't seem fazed at all; he guessed that all those years at a detective had trained him to hide surprise. To everyone's surprise Montgomery had brought his entire family with him, but did he expect the captain to leave his family on a long weekend when he got so little time off of work? Of course not. So his wife Theresa, twin six year-old sons Charlie and Dan and Marina who was the same age as Alexis were all roaming around his house.

Truthfully he was a bit worried Alexis would get bored of the adults after a while and was grateful that she had someone her own age to talk to. She and Marina had taken the twins to the beach to let the adults bond. And as for Theresa, she was just as wonderful as the captain. Now they were all sitting on the back porch taking in the view as Esposito filled him in on some of the more interesting cases he had missed. But no matter how weird the case was he still couldn't concentrate, although he didn't let anybody see that. He had been careful to put on his mask when Kate had arrived and wasn't going to take it off until everyone was gone. The mask was his Richard Castle the novelist persona; it protected him from getting hurt. It was the person his fans and the press saw, the charming and immature man-child. He was still hurting from when Kate had chosen Demming and basically kicked him out of her life altogether, but he couldn't show it. He couldn't let Kate know how much pain she'd caused.

However no matter how much pain she caused him he couldn't get over her. He had realized long ago that his feelings for her went way beyond attraction, but he hadn't realized just how permanent those feelings were until now. He wanted to talk to her, to show her what he himself was just starting to grasp. But he couldn't do that while she was holed up in her room now could he?

"Anybody know what Beckett's doing up there? I mean she is taking forever." After the words poured out he realized he had interrupted Ryan midsentence and the entire group was giving him knowing looks. So much for not showing just how much he thought about her. After a few moments Lanie decided to put him out of his misery.

"She said she had some stuff to check on before she came back down," she said after she took a swig of beer, "I'm sure she won't be too much longer." Suddenly he wished he hadn't asked. Sure, she had "some things stuff to check on" more like she was calling her boyfriend and telling him how much she missed him already. He could just picture it; her sitting on the bed twirling her hair with her free hand and biting her lip to suppress a giggle while Demming wooed her.

He had to force himself to stop thinking about her and to focus on the people laughing merrily right in front of him. He had really missed them since he stopped shadowing Kate for the summer. He missed the trips down to the morgue where somehow Lanie found a way to make forensic results entertaining, he missed talking sports with the boys and he even missed getting calls at all hours of the day alerting him that somewhere someone had been killed. He knew that was horrible, that he shouldn't be missing people telling him that someone had died, but he did anyway. But hell he was Richard Castle, when had he ever done what he should've?

"You know I've really missed you guys," he lightly slapped Esposito on the shoulder, "it just isn't the same without a murder investigation now. Sure, I have fake ones. But now they're not as exciting."

"Yeah," Ryan spoke up, "we've missed you too. And Beckett just hasn't been the same since you left." He saw Lanie shoot Ryan a glare; if looks could kill the group would have a new case on their hands. What had changed with Kate? She was probably a lot happier without him around, and she was most likely with Demming more and more lately. He wanted to ask what had been so different, but he didn't want his fears confirmed.

"What about everyone else? I know that honey-milk over here is not the only one who missed their daily dose of Castle." Everyone seemed relieved he hadn't decided to ask about Kate.

"Yeah, yeah" Esposito answered, "we all missed you. What we didn't miss was having to deal with the aftermaths of your little stunts."

"Uh huh," Lanie was laughing now, "and I don't have to deal with Kate complaining to me about those stunts."

"Hey, those stunts are just what I do. I can't change who I am cause a couple of cops can't deal with it." He winked and pointed an accusing finger at everyone.

He was about to continue when he heard the porch door open and someone speak.

"Wow." He turned around and sure enough it was her, she was gazing out at the ocean with a surprised look covering her face. She glanced at the cluster of people, clearly feeling a little awkward about her entrance. He could've teased her about it but decided instead to make her feel more comfortable.

"Great view isn't it? I remember when I first saw the back porch of this place, I couldn't get over how enchanting the water looked. And it looks even more magical during sunset and sunrise. It's one of the many reasons why I love this place." She seemed to have relaxed considerably by the time he stopped talking.

"Yeah, it's really beautiful. I can't even imagine waking up to that everyday." She replied as she reverted her eyes back to the water. For a moment she looked almost peaceful as she studied the ocean, letting her guard down and showing everyone, if only for a second, another layer of the supposed Beckett onion. He was determined to reveal each aspect of that onion, to peel back every layer until all he had in his hands was the complete Kate Beckett. But for that to happen she had to let him in, to show him the layers, and that would take a lot of work. She had known Lanie and the boys for many years and yet he wasn't even sure they had seen half of her layers. Well maybe Lanie, but definitely not Ryan and Esposito. He had made it his mission long ago to reveal the true Kate, and since then he had peeled back many layers. The only thing was, he didn't know how many layers he had to go. All he knew was he couldn't remove each one tonight, so he motioned for everyone to stand up and accompany him to the kitchen.  
"Now that Beckett has finally joined us I say it's time for dinner." Then he turned to her and playfully whispered, "I would gladly trade waking up to that view for waking up to you."

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**Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated. Come on, you know you want to tell me what you think! Just as a little incentive in the next chapter the subject of Demming will be coming up. The more reviews I get the faster you get the chapter.**


	4. Truth

**I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, my inner writer is extremely happy! Now go forth and read. **

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She had absolutely no idea Castle could cook anything that didn't come from a box, but dinner had been amazing. She would definitely have to spend more time at his house around meal times. Oh god, what was she thinking? She had only agreed to come for the weekend because he wasn't supposed to be here and after only a few hours she was seriously considering spending more time with the man outside of work. Her resolve was beginning to crack already, and that was not good. But he had been so wonderful today, especially at dinner. She knew she hadn't exactly been very social since she arrived but he had done everything he could to make her feel comfortable and relaxed. Teasing her and starting up that playful banter she had missed so much but then quickly changing to show his sweet and serious side in a heartbeat. She had to say she loved this Castle; it was one she rarely saw but treasured her moments with.

She was brought back to the present when the captain walked up to her. She flashed him a small smile and stood up to talk to him.

"I have to say Beckett," he began as the corners of his lips pulled his mouth into a smile to match hers, "I didn't think you would come."

"Yeah well, I didn't think I would at first either. But you know Lanie, the woman just doesn't give up." She feigned annoyance but anyone could tell she was happy she had come. In fact, she was thrilled she had come. She thought it would be awkward with Castle now but it was just the opposite. And as she looked around the pool area at all of her friends she decided this was much better than spending the weekend in her house watching old movies like she had planned.

"Well, I'm glad you came. It really wouldn't have been the same without you, and I don't think Castle would have been very happy if you didn't show up. Anybody can see just how much the guy missed you." The smile was still there but his eyes had a seriousness to them she hadn't seen in a while. She had no idea how to respond to that, what was she supposed to say? I missed him too, no that was out of the question. Yeah I know, but that wasn't true at all, she hadn't even realized that Castle had missed her. She could go for something witty or sarcastic, but that didn't seem appropriate given the captain's serious tone. Fortunately for her she didn't have to reply. However the interruption wasn't exactly one she welcomed.

She was still staring at Montgomery attempting to find something to say to him when two very muscular arms wrapped around her shoulders and knees to pick her up bridal style. She didn't even have to look at his face to know who it was who interrupted them; only one person had the guts to do this.

"Castle!" she tried to ignore the butterflies building in her stomach, "put me down now!" She glared at him while he just smirked at her. Damn, why didn't her glares ever work on him? Probably because he knew it was just for show.

"Now detective," he was starting to laugh now, "I'm pretty sure you'd rather stay nestled in my strong arms than be put down at the moment." He gestured down towards the ground with his eyes since his arms were somewhat occupied at the moment. She stopped glaring at him for a moment to glance below her, only to find that instead of solid ground the pool was beneath her.

"Castle, I swear if you drop me I will kill you. Now put me down on the ground!" She hissed at him in her voice she usually reserved for interrogations as she resumed her glaring. He only raised an eyebrow, how the hell was he completely unfazed? Anybody else would be cowering before her, but he was amused.

"But this is just so much more fun." He replied and began to loosen his hold on her. Immediately she sprang into action, there was no way in hell she was going to just sit back and let him drop her into the water. She wrapped her arms around his neck and positioned her legs so they were circling his waist, his arms were at his sides but she wasn't going anywhere.

She was desperately trying to ignore how the one or two butterflies had just turned into a whole swarm. She was completely dazed as she just stared into his eyes. The feel of his bare chest pressed against hers was completely intoxicating, and knowing that the only barriers between them were two bathing suits made her breathing grow heavier. She couldn't deny just how intimate this particular position was, and the way Castle was looking at her wasn't helping. After a few moments of complete silence she noticed that nobody else was talking. Averting her eyes away from his and glancing around the deck she confirmed that everyone was staring at them and waiting.

"Castle," she whispered threateningly, "don't you dare." He tore his eyes away from hers and looked behind her at the pool. She couldn't tell what he was thinking but she could see the mischievous glint in his eyes. Whatever he was going to do, it wasn't going to be good.

Suddenly he wrapped his arms around he waist, pulling her even closer to him, and winked at her. She had no idea what he was doing, but she didn't have to wait long to find out. Not a second later he launched both of their bodies into the air, bursting out laughing as they made contact with the water. They sank to the bottom still holding onto one another, she didn't really want to let go. The warmth of his body was such a nice contrast to the pool's cool temperature. But she separated from him anyway, swimming back up to the surface to breathe. When she resurfaced everyone was still silent, staring down at the spot they had landed. As he came up for air behind her she whirled around and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Whoa, whoa," he put his hands up in defense, "it was only a joke. Come on Beckett, I was just having a little fun."

"Now it's my turn to have a little fun Castle." She said in mock sweetness, advancing towards him as he backed away. When his back was against the pool wall and he had nowhere else to go she struck. Jutting her arm out, grabbing a hold of his nose and squeezing.

"Ow, ow," he pleaded, "I'm sorry Beckett! Okay? I'm sorry!"

"Now Castle, it's not a very good idea to forget your safe word." She replied disapprovingly while rolling her eyes in a trademark Beckett style.

"Fine," he conceded, "apples! Ouch, this really hurts! Apples!" She promptly let go of him and lightly smacked his chest.

"That was fun." With that she turned and made her way to the other side of the pool to sit down on one of the seats near the edge.

Hours later everyone else had eventually joined them, well everyone except for the twins and Theresa. Alexis and Marina had returned from the beach with the twins just in time to witness Castle's attempt at dropping her in the pool. Shortly after that Theresa had put two very tired kids to bed and stayed up there to watch them. Honestly, it felt like the group of friends had never been apart. Conversation was flowing easily and laughter was a popular theme with everyone. Stories ranging from Castle's antics as he grew up to unusual cases the precinct had gotten before he showed up were told as the time flew by. When she finished telling the story of a case where they found a woman on a school auditorium's stage dressed in a tutu and positioned in an arabesque with a knife in her back she discovered that she was freezing. She wanted to get out of the pool but didn't want to leave the company of her friends; she found her solution as she looked around the porch. The hot tub, of course!

"Hey, anybody want to go in the hot tub? It's getting pretty cold in here." Alexis turned towards her smiling brightly and she thought the young teen was going to join her. Castle looked like he had been trying to persuade her to do something but she kept refusing, although now she was completely ignoring him in favor of excitedly looking at her.

"There you go Dad," the redhead beamed, "now you have someone to go in the hot tub with that isn't me!" Oh god, what had she gotten herself into? Her and Castle all alone in a hot tub was not a good idea. She already had a moment of weakness earlier today, she didn't know if she could hold herself back if they were alone.

"Alright Beckett I'll go with you," he feigned annoyance, "but only if you promise to be extra naughty."

"Oh Castle," she just couldn't resist, "I don't think you can handle my naughty side." With that she got up and walked towards the hot tub, adding some extra sway to her hips' movements, leaving a stunned Castle in her wake.

Just like the rest of the day, she was surprised to find that being alone with Castle after what had happened wasn't awkward at all. In fact, their relationship seemed to be better than the weeks before he'd left. It was as if all their problems were gone and now nothing was straining their relationship. Since they had started talking everyone else had cleared out of the pool and went to bed one by one, so now they were completely alone. They talked about everything and anything they could think of, their summers, family, Naked Heat and even their childhoods.

"Actually," she said as she finished telling him about what she'd been up to in the last month, "my summer's been pretty boring so far." Something in her statement seemed to spark his interest, because the twinkle in his eyes went from humorous to serious curiosity in an instance.

"Really? I thought you'd be having a lot of fun with Demming, especially on that trip you guys were planning." She swore he said her ex's name with disdain, much like the way she had asked about Gina, but she disregarded it. She had completely forgotten about Tom over the last month, she had "other things" to focus on that were much more important to her.

"Oh," she timidly answered, "we broke up a while ago." She couldn't just tell him that she had broken up with Tom for him. No, the more vague she could be the better.

"Are you okay? When did this happen? And I know you can take care of yourself but do I need to go beat him up?" The concern in his voice almost undid her; it was of those moments where she caught a glimpse of just how much he cared for her. And that scared the hell out of her. She couldn't even begin to contemplate how terrified that made her.

"No Castle," she couldn't even make herself look him in the eyes, "I'm fine. I broke up with him the day you left, right before your going away party in fact. He just wasn't the one I wanted." So much for being as vague as possible. She began looking around her in an attempt to look at anything but him. She noticed that since they had gotten into the warm water they had scooted closer and closer to each other, now they were so close that their knees were constantly pushed up against each other.

When she finally looked back into his eyes she was surprised at what she found, the concern for her was still there but it was pushed back now. In its place was something she couldn't identify, something unfamiliar. She had seen it in his eyes before, but only briefly and very few times. The look on his face suggested he had just figured something out, put together the pieces of an extremely difficult puzzle. And when he spoke the emotion in his eyes carried over into his voice.

"Kate," the use of her first name made her heart flip, "I didn't leave for the Hamptons this summer solely to finish Naked Heat. I needed to figure some stuff out, and I needed some time to do it. I'm sorry if I hurt you when I left, but I just couldn't stand to watch you with Demming anymore. I know it was cowardly to just run away like that but I didn't see what else I could do. You seemed happy with him, and who was I to take that away from you? So I came out here to figure out where we stood, and to figure out my feelings for you. I knew before I left that my feelings for you went much deeper than simple sexual attraction. But in my time here I was able to reflect and realize that before I had no clue just how deep they went. At first, that scared me. I tried to move on, but while trying to do that I realized just how permanent my feelings for you are. It only took a short time before I knew exactly how I felt about you, and exactly how much I need you in my life. Kate, I love you and this summer I have realized just how much I want to be with you."

He scooted closer to her so that now not only were their knees pressed up against each other, their legs were too. He took her small hands in his big ones and just stared into her eyes. She couldn't make herself speak, she tried to but her mouth just wouldn't work. In fact, she was pretty sure it was just hanging open in surprise. Now that he had said it she could identify the emotion that was swirling around in his eyes. It was love, love for her. After a few moments of just sitting in silence with him her terror subsided and she couldn't deny it anymore. The walls she had been building since her mother's death were strong and steady. But he had picked and picked at it since they met and somehow he had managed to create a gaping hole in the stone without her noticing. And now he was standing with her on the side of the wall no one had ever seen, nobody but him that is. And she was going to let him stay there with her, now if only her body would let her tell him. Finally she tried again to speak, to tell him exactly how much she needed him too, when he spoke.

"Sleep on it Kate," he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, "I'll wait." He leant forward and planted a quick kiss on her forehead, got up and walked back towards the house. She wanted to call out, to stop him, but now the shock that had subsided some time ago was back and she couldn't move.

She sat there for what felt like forever and when she finally removed herself from the bubbling water she resembled that of a giant prune, without the purple coloring of course. The shock and fear were gone now; she'd cleared them away with the doubts. She was completely ready to take this jump a month ago so what was she afraid of now? Well he left her before, just left her. Oh god, who cares? Now all of their problems are out in the open, everything that made that day so horrible has been cleared up. She's not with Tom and he's not with Gina, so there is absolutely no reason why she shouldn't be with Castle.

She'd made her decision, now it was time to act on it before the fears came running back into her head. Before she even realized what she was doing she was walking down the hallway to his room. Relief flooded her body when she saw the sliver of light peering out from under his door. He was awake; she could talk to him now. As she reached his door and stood in front of it she felt a wave of disbelief crash over her. Two years ago if someone had told her she would consider Richard Castle a good friend someday she would have laughed her ass off. Two months ago if anybody had told her she was going to barge into Richard Castle's bedroom and tell him she wanted to be with him she would have had him or her committed. But here she was. She wrapped her fingers around the cool metal of the doorknob and began to slowly turn it, the whole experience felt unreal.

"Hello!" She gasped and jumped back from the door. Oh god, someone had caught her.

Slowly she turned around and faced a grinning Esposito. Shit, he had probably seen everything he needed to. She had to think of something to say fast, but how was she going to defend herself for sneaking into Castle's bedroom in the middle of the night?

"I…um well…err…umm…" She could feel her cheeks warming instantly as she realized she had absolutely nothing. There was no way to justify this without letting him know something was up.

"What's up Christy?" He basically screamed in her face. Christy? What the hell? God, he was certainly energetic at one in the morning.

"What the hell Esposito?" she held one finger up to her lips in an attempt to get him to quiet down before she continued, "Be quiet. Do you want to wake everyone up? Just stop bouncing off the walls." Was he trying to reference something this situation reminded him off? She could see no other reason for calling her Christy.

"Do you know where the bathroom is? I really love Easter." Then it hit her; he was sleepwalking. This used to happen to her dad a lot when she was little, she'd just go along with whatever he was dreaming and go back to bed. The good thing was Esposito wouldn't remember anything he did when he woke up in the morning, so the fact that she was walking into Castle's bedroom late at night would remain a secret.

"Come on Esposito," she said as she turned him towards his room, "you have a bathroom in your room. Just go in there and head back to bed. Okay?" As he closed the door to his room she heard muffled sounds of agreement. Well, that brought back memories. She turned around to find that the sliver of light that had been escaping from his door was gone and she found darkness in its place. Castle had apparently gone to bed, though she was surprised he hadn't heard Esposito screaming right outside his door. He probably did and just didn't care; she couldn't find any other explanation because Esposito had been quite loud. She didn't want to wake him up so she decided she would talk to him in the morning. So she shuffled back towards her door trying to be as quiet as possible, suddenly she wasn't so thankful her room was one of the farthest from Castle's. A quick look back at his door and she entered her room. Yes, she would talk to him in the morning.

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**First of all I know that at least some of you were expecting some smut when Castle's bedroom was brought up. But I am fifteen, I will not be writing a sex scene. Sorry, but I'm gonna preserve the little bit of innocence I have left.**

**So what did you think? I know you have an opinion, so why not tell me? Seriously, the more reviews I get the faster you guys get the next chapter. It takes about 30 seconds and makes a certain writer very happy!**


	5. Exposed

**Again, a big thanks to everyone who reviewed. It made me really happy to see that people like the story so far, and amused me to no end seeing how surprised so many people were that I am only 15. Now what are you waiting for? Read!**

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He picked up a shell and tossed it into the ocean with a little more force than necessary. Dragging his feet through the cool sand he stood up in search of something else he could throw. The night had been a sleepless one; his mind just wouldn't shut down and let him relax. So at 3 am he had gotten out of bed and tried to clear his head with a walk, now it was five in the morning and he was still out here. Since he had been sitting here angrily tossing whatever he could find into the waves for hours he had depleted the supplies of rocks and shells within reaching distance. He walked down to where the water met the sand and dipped one foot in testing it then jumped back when the shock of the cool temperature hit him.

He'd been feeling that way a lot lately, shocked. When he'd finally figured out what she had been trying to tell him before he left one could say he was definitely more than a little bit shocked. When she told him that she'd broken up with Demming right before his going away party the pieces were just beginning to put themselves together. But when she said that Demming just wasn't the one she wanted it all made sense, she was about to tell him that she wanted to give them a shot but then Gina showed up and she backed down. How stupid could he be? He knew she didn't want to tell him to have a great summer, but he just disregarded it thinking it probably wasn't that important. Well, it had definitely been important.

Then he had been shocked when he realized what he was saying to her last night. After he had put all of the pieces of the puzzle together he couldn't stop himself, the words poured out of his mouth of their own volition and he was powerless to stop them. But telling her had felt right; it was something he had to do. After all, she was going to convey the same message only a month ago. She probably wasn't going to use the word love but she had been trying to tell him the same thing; that she wanted a relationship with him. So at some point not too long ago she had wanted what he told her last night, but what if she didn't anymore? What if he had driven her away for good? His feelings were completely exposed. He was standing in the middle of a wide-open field with no place to hide, and she was standing by the trees that made up the start of the dark forest. She could choose to come join him out in the open or run and hide in the darkness of the forest, and he had a pretty good idea of what she was going to choose. He saw three things in her eyes last night before he left, surprise, fear and something he couldn't put his finger on. He hadn't waited around to identify it in fear of what it might turn out to be. What if she ran away from him now? He didn't think he could handle that. Damn, he should have just waited a little longer, until she was ready to make that leap again.

He found a large stone, picked it up and hurled it into the ocean omitting a loud grunt in an attempt to let out some of his anger at himself. He just couldn't control his damn mouth could he? He just had to tell her everything and most likely push her away for good. He ran his fingers through his already messy hair trying to gather his thoughts. He couldn't take back what he said now so he would just have to deal with it. But how exactly would he deal with it? He couldn't play it off like it had meant nothing to him; he knew that would just make her angry. The only other option was to find her at some point and talk to her about it. That's what he would have to do, talk it out. God, he really had matured since she showed up in his life.

He started swaying back and forth with the wind as he watched the waves crash onto the shore to their own rhythm. Suddenly he felt something collide with his side and the next thing he knew he was falling. What the hell? He was lying on the sand while the same something that had ran into him was sprawled across his chest. He looked up to find himself staring into extremely familiar green eyes.

"Kate?" He mentally chastised himself for not calling her Beckett; it was a sign that something had changed between them. But something had changed between them, in fact a lot had, and he couldn't just pretend it hadn't.

"What are you doing out here so early?" She still wasn't saying anything so he tried to start a conversation. He would have stood up but she was still lying on top of him making no move to get up. After a few moments she still hadn't spoken so he just stared back at her. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, staring into each other's eyes while her eyes occasionally darted down to his lips. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head, as if she was trying to come to a decision. He felt his chest tighten and his breathing hitch when she bit her lip in that undeniably sexy way, whenever she did that he was so close to losing control. He didn't think he could take much more of this, her body was flush against his. He was almost praying for her to speak, to distract him from the way he reacted to her.

Her eyes lit up as she seemed to reach the decision she had been trying to make, and before he knew what was happening her lips were on his. Her oh so soft lips. After the initial surprise he reacted, kissing her back with everything he could muster. Her tongue ran across his bottom lip, requesting entrance. He opened his mouth to hers as their tongues teased each other. Their lips' movements were slow and sensual, the opposite of their relationship. Everything they did was flirtatious and fiery. Their witty banter, the playful gestures and even the way they caught killers. But this was different, their kiss was full of, dare he say it, love. When the need for oxygen became too great to ignore he reluctantly broke away, staring again into her twinkling green orbs.

"Well good morning to you too." He raised an eyebrow at her as she got up off of his now heaving chest. Rolling her eyes she extended her hand to him and he took it letting her help pull him up off of the ground. After it was clear she wasn't going to respond to that he tried again.

"Is that how you apologize to every guy you knock over?" He could tell she was trying very hard to hold in the smile that was playing at her lips.

"Yeah Castle," she lost the battle as she grinned, "but it sure confuses some guys when I just get up and just continue running after."

"So you were going for a run, huh? Isn't it a little early?" He looked down to check his watch; it was 5:30 in the morning.

"I didn't exactly sleep well, why are you up this early?" She gave him a look that told him everything he needed to know about her lack of rest.

"Well," he began, "I didn't exactly get much sleep either. I've actually been out here since three."

"Guess I should have gone running earlier then." She was smirking now.

They both turned back towards the house and started walking. He wasn't exactly sure where that kiss left them so instead of taking hold of her hand he lightly brushed his fingers against hers every few strides hoping she'd get the hint. And true to her detective form she figured it out, lacing her fingers with his as they continued walking down the beach.

"You were right Castle," she said after a few minutes of companionable silence, "the view is better during sunrise."

"You know," he replied, "you are allowed to call me Rick."

"Hmm Rick," she tested the name, "I suppose I might be able to get used to that." She faked an annoyed sigh as she turned towards him stopping their movement. He looked at her expectantly as she took a deep breath.

"Hey Rick?" She seemed uncharacteristically nervous now. He took her other hand in his free one in an attempt to make her more comfortable.

"Yes Kate?" He asked as he stepped a little closer to her.

"I love you too." She closed the distance between them, giving him another soft kiss before breaking away with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Race you back!" She exclaimed and took off down the beach. There was no denying that this woman was a constant surprise, completely unpredictable. But he was beginning to figure her out, if only a little bit. His eyes strayed from the back of her head to her perfectly toned ass, what could he say he was male after all?

"Eyes up kitten!" She yelled out as she continued running along the shoreline. He let out an amused chuckle and sprinted through the sand trying to catch up to her.

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**Come on, review! Did you like it? Did you hate it? I hope you didn't hate it but whatever your opinion is you should tell me. Also, any suggestions you have are always welcome, I do have the story pretty planned out but I can definitely fit things in if people want to see them. **


	6. Understanding

**Special thanks to everyone who reviewed! It always brightens my day when I log onto my email account and find reviews waiting to be read. **

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The scent of every breakfast food imaginable swirled through the air as Rick made breakfast for everyone. Rick, she definitely wasn't used to calling him that but somehow it just felt right. She wouldn't call him that on the job, he would stay Castle and she would be Beckett. But when they weren't working, or rather she wasn't working, she could very easily become attached to calling him Rick. She loved to call him that because she had to work to get to there, it was a major part of their journey. For most people who spent as much time together as them being on a first name basis was nothing, it was normal. But they were different, a first name basis was indicative of something more, something much more intimate. It was a symbol of how far they'd come and where their future was heading. Truthfully she had no clue where their journey would end up, but she was confident that in the end she would be in his arms. Those arms made her forget her problems, supported her when she couldn't hold on anymore and most importantly the owner of those arms loved her. And that was before they were even officially together. Truth is, the two had been together in some way before either would even admit it.

Before they had even met he had been part of her journey. Through his words she found peace, a sense of security and closure she could get nowhere else. Yes, she tried to find that feeling in many other places but nothing could make the hurt fade like his books. The emptiness didn't fade away completely, it never would, but making it even a little bit better was a gift she could never repay him for. And then they had actually met face to face and not through the pages of a book. Whether she liked it or not he had infiltrated her world completely, it wasn't just his words anymore it was his entire being. No matter how much she had tried to hide herself from him he had seen the real her, the layers of the Beckett onion peeled back to reveal her raw form. He had become a large part of her world, and she knew now that the same had happened for him. They had started on their journey long before this point the only difference is that now neither of them was running from the inevitable. In fact, they welcomed it.

She studied the way he moved about the kitchen from her perch by the counter. The way his brow knitted together when he was flipping the pancakes was a sign of pure concentration and determination. How he had tried so hard not cry when he chopped up the onions for the omelets, his eyes welling up with tears he refused to shed. The movement of his muscles as he stretched his neck or his back every so often. She tried to commit it all to memory, she knew now that the little things were often the stuff that you missed.

"Here," he interrupted her memorization as he held out a piece of pancake on a fork, "try this."

"It's just a pancake, Rick." She loved his name rolling off of her tongue. He leaned away from her feigning hurt as he stared at her in mock horror.

"Just a pancake? Did you actually just call this just a pancake? I'm hurt. I happen to be a pancake master believe it or not. Ask Alexis, my pancakes are like no other you have ever tasted." He waved the morsel in front of her face; one eyebrow rose daring her to challenge him on his pancake cooking skills.

"You're such a child," She replied before capturing the sample between her teeth and slowly chewing contemplatively just to tease him. "however your pancakes are delicious!" She looked back up at him only to find his face mere inches from her own. His eyes bore into hers and her tongue unconsciously darted out to wet her lips. A few minutes passed but neither moved, their heavy breathing the only sound in the room. She began lightly chewing on her bottom lip, something she did when she was either thinking very hard or repressing the urge to do something. In this situation the reason was the latter one.

"God, you're sexy as hell when you do that." He almost grunted as a puzzled look crossed her face.

"What?" Now she was just confused, she wasn't doing anything. His voice had gotten much huskier since he had last spoken and the change was driving her crazy; feeding the fire that was already flaming within her.

"When you bite your lip like that," he replied now staring at her mouth, "I can barely fight the urge to kiss you senseless."

"Why are you fighting it?" She whispered as the burning fire in her stomach floated downwards.

Just as the words slipped out of her mouth his mouth was on hers. This kiss was nothing like the one earlier this morning, this one was full of passion and urgency. They battled for dominance using their lips, tongues and teeth as soldiers. Control switched between the two as they fought, one almost winning just as the other snatched victory away. It was a torturous game, but it had always been that way with them. Then she felt his hands grasp the bottom of her thighs and suddenly her feet were no longer on the ground. She was placed on the top of the counter his hands now on her ass as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Oh god, she couldn't take it anymore. Her hands, which had been roaming his chest, started to undo the buttons of his shirt just so she could feel his bare skin and not the fabric clothing it. She heard groans, growls and moans but wasn't sure which sounds came from whom. Her fingers had succeeded in undoing three buttons when one of his hands came up to tangle itself in her hair.

"Dad? Are you down here, dad?" They flew apart, him jumping backwards as she flew off of the counter and towards the opposite side of the room. While she frantically tried to fix her hair he quickly buttoned his shirt back up.

"In here, pumpkin!" He yelled back to the teenager as he smoothed his shirt. What the hell was she thinking? Anybody could have walked in on them, in fact someone almost did, and she would never have heard the end of it.

The young girl skipped into the room her fiery hair bouncing up and down with each movement. The girl grinned excitedly at the sight of the expansive breakfast menu and sat down on one of the stools at the counter.

"Morning. Did you guys sleep well?" Alexis asked as she popped a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"Not really," she answered first trying to make everything seem normal, "I was kind of tossing and turning all night."

"Me too, and I have a feeling that I'll be getting very little sleep tonight as well." He looked over at her, waggling his eyebrows only slightly so his daughter wouldn't see.

"Why?" The evidence of Alexis' confusion clearly written all over her face as she curiously peered at her father.

"I seem to be getting a lot of inspiration today." He replied as she saw him steal another glance at her while she blushed.

"Oh," the energetic teenager seemed to understand now, "you're starting your third Nikki Heat book already? Great! I'm going to see if Gram's up." And with that the girl hopped out of her seat and ran out of the room calling out for her grandmother.

Oh, thank god. She didn't think she could handle it if Alexis knew just yet that something was going on between her and her father. Especially if she found out by walking in on a heated make out session. Then she realized if she couldn't even wrap her head around Rick's daughter knowing then how was she supposed to come to terms with everyone knowing? And when she said everyone she did mean everyone. Not just the precinct, not just their families and not just the people they knew because sooner or later the press would get a hold of this and then her relationship would be spread across page six for everyone to read about. She would never have any privacy if the paparazzi caught wind of this and she would never hear the end of it if her friends knew. She wasn't ready for that yet, she needed time.

"You were wrong, Rick." She said looking at him seriously.

"Huh? What was I wrong about?" Confusion was the main expression on his face as he turned towards her. She stepped closer to him and put one hand on his chest, tracing small circles.

"You will be getting plenty of sleep tonight because I'm going to be spending the night in the guest bedroom like last night. Unless of course you were actually serious about writing, in which case knock yourself out." Her tone was playful but her eyes were serious as they communicated that she was not going to change her mind.

"Why do that? I had so many activities planned." He was clearly not going to give up so easily, but should she have thought any different?

"Rick," her tone transferred from playful to serious to match her eyes, "I'm not ready for everyone to know about us yet. I want this to just be ours for a little bit longer, something only between us. I know we'll have to tell everyone eventually, and I don't plan to wait long, I just need a little time to take this all in. Once our relationship is public I'll have to adjust to a whole new normal. The press will be hounding me, I'll never hear the end of it from everyone at the precinct and then there are your dedicated fans that already ask me for autographs sometimes. I just want this to be ours for a little while. I just need some time to get used to this before everything changes." He brought his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against him as her arms circled his neck. She looked into his eyes pleading with him to understand where she was coming from and to get why she needed this.

"I get it," she breathed a sigh of relief at those words, "I'll give you the time you need, don't worry. I just want you to know that not everything is going to change; you and I will still be the same. We'll still be the same people with the same feelings and nothing could ever change that. I'll always love you, no matter what anybody else thinks."

"Thanks, Rick." She brought her lips up, searching for his as she gave him a quick kiss.

"Kate?" He asked when her mouth released his.

"Hmm?" She was much too content and relaxed in his arms to form actual words. He understood why she needed this and he was going to give it to her. Being private for a while was completely okay with him, and to be honest that had been one of her concerns. Rick could be over the top and extravagant and she didn't want that right off the bat.

"You do realize that all of our friends are currently living with us right. How the hell are we supposed to slip this little development by them?" He was smirking now, "They are very perceptive you know."

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**So, what did you think? You thought something about it, I know you did. Why don't you share what it was with the class? I love reviews, a lot. So why not make me happy by giving me your opinion? Remember, suggestions are always appreciated.**


	7. Hidden

**I'm not sure if I really like how this chapter turned out. So be sure to tell me what you think of it. Again, thank you to all who reviewed. **

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Eventually everyone trickled down from their rooms, some yawning profusely in search of caffeine while others were wide-awake. He still couldn't believe what had happened this morning; it was definitely not like Kate to just kiss people. Especially him. He knew she had reservations, and that they would have to discuss them eventually, but for now he was just content to watch her from across the room. In an attempt to conceal their budding relationship they had decided to act like they normally would, like nothing had changed. Truthfully, he thought the whole idea was a bit silly. They had worked so hard to get to this point in their lives and now they were just going to pretend like nothing had happened? Everything had changed, his life was different because of the past few days, how was he supposed to ignore that completely? But still, he understood where she was coming from. This was all new to her and she was afraid, she just needed some time to see that he was serious about them.

She was talking to Lanie by the breakfast nook as the tired M.E. sipped the coffee he had given her. Lanie waggled her eyebrows suggestively and he chuckled, typical Lanie. The woman was always trying to drag details out of Kate, even when there were none. This time there were definitely details, many of them in fact, but Lanie didn't have to know about them just yet.

"Hey, bro," Esposito walked up beside him with Ryan not far behind, "I'm with Beckett on this one, you staring at her for no apparent reason is kind of creepy."

"Yeah," Ryan had caught up now, "and you're doing it more than usual. And your usual amount of staring is a lot, did something happen with you two?"

"Nope," he laughed, "can't say I didn't try though. Guess I just don't find waiting for the rest of the pancakes to cook entertaining." The boys looked down at the stovetop in front of him and he heard one of their stomachs growl, calling out in hunger. He realized he had been staring longer than he thought as he looked down to check on his tasty masterpieces. They were perfectly cooked.

"Oh," he picked up the spatula and began transferring the pancakes to a plate as he called out to everyone, "breakfast is ready guys, hope you're hungry!"

After a lot of help from everyone except Martha, she had insisted that it was much too early for her to be up and about, they were finally seated around the table enjoying each other's company. He'd tried to get Kate to sit in one of the seats next to him but Alexis and mother had quickly claimed those so she was left with the seat directly across from him.

"Jeez, Castle," Esposito exclaimed as he skewered more fruit, "you sure do make a lot of food."

"He doesn't usually make this much, I guess he just wanted to impress you guys." Alexis chimed in before he could reply.

"Hey," he put a hand over his heart feigning hurt, "I make you wonderful breakfasts all the time."

"Yes you do," she retorted, "but they're never quite this extravagant. But hey, I'm not complaining." He patted his daughter's shoulder affectionately as the conversation turned to some other topic. He liked having his entire family together, his real one and the one from the precinct. Yes, in the two years he had been working with them his friends at the precinct had become another family for him. They were a bit dysfunctional, but they managed. Although he hoped that at some point Kate would be a part of both of his families. It was a little early in their relationship to be thinking about that, but the truth was his feelings for her had been building for years now. He wasn't going to tell her he wanted her to be part of his family now, that would only scare her away, but there was no harm in thinking it.

"So Castle," Lanie's voice jolted him back to reality, "did you and Kate have fun in the hot tub last night?" All conversation at the table stopped and everyone looked at Castle, anxiously waiting his reply.

By the time the last few people had left the pool the night before he and Kate had already moved quite close to each other, he could tell everyone knew something had been up.

"You really want to know all the dirty details?" His eyebrows danced on his forehead as everyone stared at him intently. He knew that they knew better than to suspect that he was serious, but hope still lingered in some of their eyes.

"Do tell." Lanie was leaning across the table, doing a dance with her own eyebrows to match his.

"Well…" he started to weave a story in his mind that would blow everyone away but before he could continue an exasperated Beckett replied for him.

"Nothing happened!" She threw her hands in the air and glared at Lanie who didn't seem fazed at all.

"Oh come on, Beckett," he pointed his finger at her, "don't lie to these good people."

"Mhm," she leaned back and sent him a smug look, "then what did happen, Castle?" Now he was scared, whenever Kate looked at him like that for no apparent reason it meant she had something up her sleeve. He could only imagine what she planned to do. And what he imagined did not work out in his favor. But some part of him wanted to find out what she had in mind, the writer in him was curious as to what she could think up.

"Well, after all of you guys left, Beckett over here had a little too much to drink and…" Then he felt it, something was running up and down the inside of his shin, and was moving higher each time it went back up. And that something felt strangely like the toe of a shoe. He looked up at Kate in shock but she looked no different than before, to everyone else it appeared as if she hadn't moved an inch. Esposito and Ryan were each raising an eyebrow in question as to why he stopped, Lanie was anxiously awaiting his answer and the kids were virtually oblivious to the conversation that was taking place. Her foot was now traveling very high along his inner thigh and he felt his breathing hitch. He gulped audibly and forced himself to continue.

"Uhh," he choked out, "nothing happened." To the untrained eye Kate's face remained completely unchanged as her foot retreated and she resumed eating but he could see the hint of amusement in her eyes. Oh, she was a cruel woman. When conversation had resumed and his guests were occupied she turned her head to him, a smug smile still planted on her face, and winked. She glanced around, he assumed to make sure nobody saw it, and joined the group in conversation once more. What an evil, evil woman she was. No matter, he'd get her back, and he knew just how to do it. The wheels began turning in his head as he formed his plan.

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**Alright, you know the drill by now. And if you're new and don't know what the drill is then I'll explain. The drill is me trying to persuade you to review. Remember, suggestions are always welcome!**


	8. Possession

**Well, again thanks to all the people who have reviewed. It's so nice to go on my email account and find all these reviews! It makes my day. And a special thanks to superlc529 for giving me some inspiration as to what Castle is going to do to Beckett. I know it's probably not exactly what you had in mind, but this is the idea that I got from your suggestion.**

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The sea breeze gently blew her hair as she turned the worn pages of her book. It was a good book, one of her favorites actually, but she couldn't seem to concentrate on the words for very long before her gaze would stray to the man playing with his daughter in the waves. No one could deny that he was a great father; it was one of the things she loved most about him. Granted, she loved a lot of things about him. She was comfortable with this man, he knew her better than anybody else and he gave her what she needed. A small smile graced her lips as her eyes followed his movements. Whenever she was working too hard, there he was to get her to take a break. The times when she's tense and frustrated he was always there to make her laugh and get her on the right track. He was just always there, whether she made him feel welcome or not he never left her side.

Cool droplets of water made contact with her legs, jolting her out of her thoughts. She quickly looked up and was met with amused blue eyes.

"What are you smiling at, detective?" Rick raised an eyebrow and grinned to his full capacity.

Glancing around her to make sure nobody she knew was within hearing distance she replied, "This beach has a very nice view, or it did until you got out of the water." She winked at him and tried to contain her laughter as his grin grew even wider, which hadn't seemed possible.

"Care to join Alexis and I in the water?" He asked as he extended his hand to her, suddenly looking very hopeful. She surveyed the scene around her, a book lying in the sand as she sat on the towel alone. The boys and Montgomery's family were playing with a Frisbee, the Captain, Lanie and Martha were talking animatedly about something down the beach and Alexis was waiting patiently in the ocean for her father to return. What the hell? She was getting a little hot from sitting in the sun for so long. She ignored his hand and pushed herself off of the warm sand.

"Sure, Alexis and I could use some time to catch up." She replied and began walking towards the sand with Rick right behind her.

She looked back to see him open his mouth intending to reply when he was cut off by something she had been hoping to avoid for as long as possible.

"Ricky?" A skinny, blonde girl in a very small bikini waved at him from a few yards away, "Is that you?" She saw Castle tense up before plastering a polite smile on his face and turning towards the woman.

"Hey Audrey," he exclaimed, "I haven't seen you in so long." The blonde, apparently named Audrey, jumped excitedly and pulled him in for a quick hug when he answered. She suddenly felt the urge to wrap her arm around his waist and pull him against her, to claim possession. But she couldn't do that with the whole precinct and Rick's family all around her. Damn, why couldn't they be alone? She settled for just leaning a little closer to him hoping this Audrey girl got the message. She didn't.

"I know," she put her hand on his forearm, "why haven't you been at any parties this summer?"

"I haven't had much time," he glanced over at her quickly, "and I'm not really into the party scene anymore." Audrey followed Rick's glance and acknowledged her presence for the first time.

"Oh my god," she squealed, "you're Nikki Heat!" She winced as her alter ego's name was screamed. She hated it when people referred to her as Nikki, the character may be based off of her but they were not the same person at all.

"Actually," she replied unable to keep the coolness out of her voice, "it's Kate Beckett."

"Oh, I'm Audrey Dellasanta," she turned her attention back to Rick, "so what are you doing out here, Ricky?" Immediately tensing at his little nickname she stepped closer to him, she really wanted to claw this lady's eyes out as Audrey practically shoved her fake boobs in his face.

"Fourth of July weekend party," he replied, "just spending some time with my family and friends from the precinct, like my favorite detective here." He grasped one of her shoulders with each hand and pulled her against him for a moment. She smiled up at him quickly and then turned to Audrey. The ditzy blonde still didn't seem to get it.

Audrey moved a bit closer to Rick, putting a hand on his shoulder. The woman really wasn't that perceptive, was she? Either that or Audrey just didn't care. If only she and Rick had been alone when Audrey sauntered up, she would have made the ditz get the message. She wasn't big on public displays of affection, but she was not about to let some chick waltz in and try to steal Rick.

"Mind if I join you guys today?" Audrey asked, hope drenching her voice. She wanted to crush that hope so badly, to squash that little dream like an insignificant bug on her windshield.

"Well actually," Rick started, "we were going to spend some time with my daughter. I promised her I would spend most of my time with her this weekend." She knew perfectly well that he had promised nothing of the sort. Of course they would spend loads of time together, the two had a very close relationship, but Alexis had made a friend and was perfectly aware that her father had to entertain his guests as well.

"She seems fine, Ricky," Audrey pointed to the teenager who was walking down the beach with Marina, "now why don't we go for a swim?" The blonde was looking solely at him when suggesting this, not so subtly hoping he would ditch her and head off with this bimbo. She looked over at Rick and saw he was running out of excuses, he would desperately look in her direction every few seconds trying to come up with something. Honestly, she couldn't think of one good excuse either. To this woman Rick was one very single party boy who didn't hesitate to get close to a random girl and with everyone around she was not about to say otherwise.

"Sure," he said very apprehensively and began turning towards the shore, "Beckett and I were just about to go into the water anyway." She and Rick began walking towards the water, his hand on the small of her back guiding her, as Audrey followed along behind them.

A few hours later, Audrey was still hanging off of him at every chance she got. When Ryan and Esposito had seen him heading into the water with both her and Audrey their interest had clearly peaked. Now they had joined them in the water and were obviously watching her every move. Studying how she reacted to Audrey being so clingy with Rick, and she was not handling it very well. Whenever the blonde got too close to him for her liking she would glare at the woman until she relented, and when addressing Audrey her tone was icy and flat. Rick was doing his best to not encourage the woman, but this ditz didn't seem to notice. But despite the other woman's presence she found herself having fun, he always knew how to make her laugh. The waves rocked against her abdomen as he and Esposito argued over something stupid. She couldn't really remember what it was, she hadn't been paying much attention to the fight, but she did seem to recall something about a video game. Typical.

"Fine," an exasperated Rick said, "we'll settle this like any other people who get into a fight while in the water."

"And how would that be?" Esposito questioned as she shot another glare at Audrey who was now practically hanging off of Rick's arm. This caught the attention of both Ryan and Esposito and they both tried to hide their grins.

"With a game of chicken of course." He replied as if it were a completely normal way to settle any argument.

"What?" Ryan chuckled, "That's how you settle your arguments? How childish are you?"

"Hey," he defended, "it's simple. The person who wins the game wins the fight, got it? Now, who wants to be on my team?" As soon as he said this she saw Audrey's eyes light up at the prospect of being on Rick's shoulders. No way was that going to happen.

"Must I always fight your battles for you, Castle?" It popped out of her mouth before she realized what she was doing. This was not acting normally, she would never just volunteer to get up on his shoulders and play chicken. But she hadn't really been acting normal since Audrey had shown up anyway; the boys clearly already knew something was up with her. So instead of backing down she moved closer to him, waiting for confirmation.

"Well, detective," he answered, "you are the one with the gun." And with that she climbed onto his shoulders and waited for Esposito to find a partner.

"Hey Audrey," Esposito winked at her as he called out to the blonde, "wanna take Beckett down?" She mentally made a note to thank Esposito for this when everyone knew about her and Rick. It had been obvious all day that she wanted to claw this girl's eyes out, and now she could.

When Audrey was finally perched up on top of Esposito's shoulders the game began. She couldn't help but think that this is what she and Audrey had been doing all day, fighting. Albeit to everyone else the purpose of this game wasn't fighting over Rick, but it was to them. She saw it in the woman's eyes; Audrey had realized that she did not want Audrey anywhere near Rick. She was not about to let that woman steal him, not after everything she had risked on him. She knew Rick cared for her, but that didn't mean she wasn't completely secure with their relationship. She had heard of his reputation, and was going to do everything she could to keep their relationship going. She was confident that Rick wouldn't leave her for that bimbo, but nonetheless she needed to mark her territory. Silently an agreement was reached through jealous eyes, raging green and persistent blue both determined to win.

Not so surprisingly, Audrey fell first. She was a detective, with training. Training that allowed her to take down suspects, armed or not. Knocking over a blonde bimbo was not going to be that hard for her. But before she could climb down off of Rick he squealed in excitement.

"Look!" He exclaimed as he thrust a large crab into the space just inches from her face. Caught of guard and frightened she screamed as she fell backwards into the water. She had been afraid of crabs since she was little. When she was about six years old her parents had taken her to the beach for the first time, she had always loved the water but had only been in pools. When they reached their destination she had raced out of the car and into the water, staying there for hours. At some point she had found a large crab scuttling around on the sand. Naming her Lilac, after her and her mother's favorite flower, she decided she would keep the crab as a pet. But only a few minutes later Lilac decided she did not want to be Kate's best friend, instead she pinched her pinky finger hard and refused to let go. She had run out of the water and towards her father, flailing her arm the entire time, but the crab would not relent. When she reached her parents Lilac promptly let go of her finger and hurried off towards the water. She had been scared of crabs ever since.

When she emerged from the water to find Rick smirking at her it was safe to say she was not amused.

"What the hell was that?" She yelled at him, thought his grin didn't falter in the slightest. Instead of responding he held up the crab and walked towards her as she jumped backwards.

"Are you afraid of this harmless little crab, Beckett?" He playfully asked, still stalking towards her with the crab.

"Castle…" she hissed at him and tried to stand her ground. He only got closer and closer, soon she let out a small yelp and began to back away again. He reached out with his free hand and grasped her wrist, pulling her closer to him and his little crustacean. She gulped and followed the crab with her eyes as he moved his hand around by his hip.

"Two can play at that game, detective." He whispered into her ear before flinging the crab back into the ocean. As soon as the crab was out of his hand he ran for the shore with her chasing after him.

"Castle!" She glared at his back as he tried to run away from her.

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**So in about 3 days I head off to China with a camp for 2 weeks. Between packing and a bunch of last minute things I'm not sure how much time I'll have for writing. So if I don't get another chapter posted by Wednesday night then I'm sorry but you won't get another one until after August 12th. **

**Secondly, review! Let's see if we can get to 100 reviews by the time I post the next chapter. I know you guys can do it! **

**And I know what some of you are thinking. 100? Ugh, really? Do I have to? The answer is no, you don't have to. But I would be extremely happy if you did do it. So let's try and meet that goal, if only for the sake of my happiness. Let's say it's a goodbye present, even though I'll only be gone for 2 weeks. Remember, suggestions are always appreciated and I'll definitely try to incorporate them into the story!**


	9. Reassurances

**Wow, 92 reviews. That is certainly close to 100! A big thank you to everyone who reviewed and to all the people who told me to have fun on my trip. **

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The sun was beginning to go down as he and Kate walked back to the house. Well, it wasn't just them. The whole gang was making their way through the sand and back to the comfort of the house, but he and Kate were walking a bit behind everyone. She was staring into the waves as he stared at her; something had been off about her the entire day. She was touchier with him and immediately volunteered to be his partner in every game they played. Whether they were playing beach volleyball, relaxing on their towels or splashing around in the ocean, she was always right next to him. Not that he didn't like it, in fact he liked it a lot, it just wasn't something she did. As he studied her face her brow furrowed for what seemed to be the fifth time in a matter of minutes, clearly she was deep in thought. And whatever she was pondering was clearly important to her because she didn't even notice when he took her hand in his.

Even though they were a ways behind everyone else didn't mean nobody would turn around and see them. This beach was open to everyone who lived in the neighborhood, and most of the people who lived in the neighborhood were rich and at least somewhat famous. Needless to say, a lot of the paparazzi hung out here in the summer. Kate knew this, and yet didn't seem to care that they looked undeniably like a couple. She was way beyond just pondering. But interrupting her mid-thought would get him nowhere so he let her be. So he just continued to study her movements until they started walking on grass. His gaze left her face and turned to where they were walking, apparently they had reached his lawn. And apparently, they had slowed down quite a bit. The last of the group had already made their way inside the house. He was about to break her away from her thoughts when she bit her lip; she hadn't done that yet. Kate only bit her lip when she had made a decision, but didn't know if she should go through with it. This could mean a number of things so he decided to wait a little longer to break her concentration. He didn't have to wait long because she broke her own concentration pretty quickly.

Before he knew what she was doing she grabbed his forearm and darted behind some nearby bushes, dragging him along. He hadn't even regained his footing yet when her lips were on his. The surprise wore off after a few moments and he began to kiss her back just as forcefully as she kissed him. He liked this decision of hers. Passion raged through his body as they clung to each other, battling once again. Her hands were everywhere, and his followed suit. After a long couple of minutes she broke away, grinning as she inhaled large amounts of oxygen.

"Not that I'm complaining," he said after catching his breathe, "but what was that for?"

"I don't like Audrey." She offered by way of explanation. Finally he got what had been bothering her all day, he was surprised he hadn't caught it sooner. But even the reason was so unlike her, another layer of the Beckett onion down.

"Why Kate," he smirked, "I never pegged you as the jealous type."

"I'm not jealous." She said it forcefully and as though she was trying to convince herself, furrowing her brow yet again to try and pick the situation apart.

"Uh-huh," he took his phone out of his pocket and began looking through his contact list, "so what if I invite Audrey to dinner tonight? Esposito seemed to like her." He could almost see her eyes turning greener as they widened in shock. Her jaw clenched and he could see the disdain flowing freely throughout her body. And this was all over him.

"You have her number?" She yelled incredulously at him as she made a grab for the phone, those beautiful jade eyes of hers filled with resentment.

"No I do not," he chuckled as her body immediately relaxed, "do you want to share something with the class, Kate?" The wheels were visibly turning in her head as she bit her lip, stubbornly holding onto the false idea that she didn't care about Audrey.

"Fine," she pouted, "I'm jealous, okay?" He hugged her closer to him as he saw the vulnerability in her eyes. He saw everything she was trying to communicate with those eyes. But most of all, he saw that she was scared. Scared he would leave her. Leave her for a bubbly blonde, one like Audrey.

"Kate," his tone was soft as he murmured the word into her ear, "I will never leave you. Ever. You are an extraordinary woman and I would be a fool if I let you go. Nothing, and nobody, is going to change that. I love you Kate, you have to believe that at least. I won't leave."

They just stood there for a while, her wrapped in his arms while she thought about that.

"I know you love me," when she finally spoke her tone was almost shy, "but they all leave. Everyone I loved. Will left me without so much as a second thought because I wasn't important enough. My father was on the brink when I pulled him back to reality. Everyone leaves, everyone is like her." She didn't have to explain for him to know who "her" was immediately. He held her body tighter and began rubbing circles on her back with his hands.

"I know, I know," he soothed, "but it's alright. Will was a bastard, he didn't deserve you and you certainly didn't deserve what he did to you. And your mother, your mom didn't choose to leave. She would have done anything to stay with you, Kate. I'm a parent, I know. She loved you with all her heart and would never want to leave you. She will love you forever, and her memory will live on in you. You see, she didn't completely leave. She is a part of you, Kate." Throughout his speech he could feel her arms tightening around him, clinging to his body. He would never leave her; he just had to prove it to her. It would take time but he was sure he could convince her of it. He was in this for the long haul and eventually she would realize that.

After what seemed like forever, he hated waiting, but in reality were only a few minutes she looked up at him with teary eyes. She only nodded, but that was enough. Carefully and slowly he lowered his head down to hers, capturing her mouth in a slow and sweet kiss. One that showed her just how much he cared for her. This wasn't fiery or playful. This wasn't a battle. This was so much more, conveying emotion being the ultimate goal. Through that kiss they conveyed all the pain and the pleasure their unorthodox partnership had caused over the years, everything that built up to their love. Every moment of their past was revisited and a future promised.

"Oh," a male voice said to their right, "so this is what you guys have been doing." Both he and Kate immediately froze, her whole body immediately tensing as she recognized the voice. She pulled back from him so she could look to the side and confirm her nightmare. His gaze followed hers and suspicions were confirmed.

"Umm," he said to Captain Montgomery, "hello, Captain."

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**Talk about a mood killer, huh? Haha. Well, I thought you guys deserved another chapter after your wonderful efforts at reaching 100. So at 8:30 the night before I leave for China, instead of packing I am writing. That's how much I love you guys. ;)**

**So, now that I've proved how much I love you why not show me how much you love this story? Or hate it, either one. See you in two weeks! **


	10. Wordlessly

**Well, after an amazing trip and a lot of jet lag I'm back and ready to continue this. As always, a giant thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys really make my day.**

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Shit. For a few moments that was the only thought that would register in her head, but soon more followed and the situation just kept getting worse from her perspective. Her boss had caught her and Rick in the midst of a heated make-out session. That man was basically a second father to her, god this could not be happening. She opened her mouth to say something, to say anything that might make the situation even a little bit better. But after thinking it over she realized that there was no denying it anymore, she couldn't talk her way out of this one. This man was a trained cop, he wasn't stupid, nor was he blind. People thought she and Rick were together all the time, making jokes about them shamelessly, but there was no more uncertainty for the man in front of her now, he had just witnessed all he needed to see. So, just like any cornered suspect she had a choice; shut down completely, or go with the truth.

"Uhh…" Well, she'd tried to go with the truth but her mind wasn't cooperating at the moment. She shot a glance in Castle's direction to find him watching her, seeking out orders on how to handle this. Silently she pleaded with him to handle this for the time being, thankfully he understood. He always seemed to understand her perfectly even when there were no words exchanged. Whether he listened or not was the only problem with their communication.

He looked back over at the Captain and she could see thoughts buzzing through his mind, trying to settle on what to say. She just watched her toe play with a rock on the ground while trying to compose herself.

"Well," apparently he had settled on something to say, "now you know." She rolled her eyes at that one, he was a damn writer and couldn't come up with anything better than that? But in retrospect she couldn't blame him, she was even too shocked by the situation to speak in the first place. She looked up from the ground when Montgomery burst out laughing, clutching his abdomen while bending over in a laughing fit.

"I'm sorry," he choked out through the laughs, "it's just that you two look like two teenagers who've been caught doing something they know is completely wrong." He continued laughing for a while longer and then composed himself, however a grin was still playing at his lips. Putting a hand on each of their shoulders he continued.

"Look," he stated, "I'm happy for you guys. This is good; you don't need to be embarrassed about it or scared. We've all thought you two were meant for each other from the beginning, I'm just glad you both realized it before it was too late. My only question is why are you hiding it?"

Rick just looked at her and she could tell she would have to take over, because he had no reasons of his own for them hiding it. The secrecy was all her own, because she wasn't ready. She didn't want the paparazzi, she didn't want the attention but most importantly she had been too scared to leap in fully.

"Well, sir, we just wanted to keep it to ourselves for a little while. It's not that we're embarrassed in any way;" she shot a look at Rick to make sure he knew that that wasn't the case at all," it's just that this is still so new. Our relationship only changed this morning and we're still getting used to it, testing the waters. We're still trying to figure this whole thing out and wanted to do that on our own." She felt Rick put an arm around her shoulder and pull her just a little closer to him and she was glad that he understood. She wasn't ashamed of this; she didn't want it to be a secret forever. All she wanted was some time where this was theirs and only theirs, no distractions and no opinions besides their own.

"I see," said the Captain as he eyed the pair, "so I take it you don't want me to tell anyone until you make the decision to?"

"That would be nice, sir," this time it was her partner that spoke, "thank you." Montgomery cracked another smile let out another chuckle before pulling each of the two into a hug.

"This is going to be fun," he was smirking now, "and I really am happy for you guys. You two deserve this after everything you've been through. So, what am I going to tell everyone in that house who was so curious as to what you two were doing?"

She and Rick looked at each other and quickly decided on the most believable story, there was that silent communication again. She loved how they could do that; with just their eyes they could hold conversations. In just two short years they had come to know each other so well that that simplest gesture was a means of communication that told the other as much as a speech could.

"We were doing what we always do," she answered now returning the Captain's smirk, "we were arguing."

"Yep," Rick now had the same look on his face as the others, "we stopped short on the beach because I said something stupid and we began to banter back and forth, and that's how you found us. There is not one person in that house who wouldn't believe that."

"Sounds like a plan," the Captain had turned away from them now and was walking back towards the house, "and just so you two know I'll keep my mouth shut, don't you worry." Rick still had an arm around her shoulder so before they got too close to the house she leaned into his side as they walked. She was glad that Montgomery was happy for her, for them. But she was even happier that Rick now understood why she hadn't wanted to tell anyone about them being a couple at first, she was actually surprised she hadn't caught that earlier. That he was obviously confused, thinking maybe she was embarrassed or still terrified. Truth is she was still a little scared, but not anymore. Well, maybe a little bit of that fear still remained but she was Detective Beckett after all, doubts were always present in her mind whenever she did anything. But now, now she was just content to walk through the lawn in the arms of a man who loved her and whom she loved back with all her heart.

Later that night she was curled up beneath the covers of her bed reading a book when she heard a knock at her door. She quickly hid the book beneath the comforter, it was one of his and if it was him behind that door she didn't need to inflate his ego any more, before calling out to the unknown person.

"Who is it?" She asked, her hand already preparing to snake into the drawer of the bedside table where her gun rested.

"Hey," a girl's voice answered back as the door opened and a redhead peered at her from the doorway, "it's me. I don't want to bother you but I wanted to ask you something." She patted the spot next to her on the bed, a silent invitation for Alexis to come in. The teenager responded quickly and accordingly, basically jumping onto the bed right next to her looking much more comfortable than before.

"Alright Alexis," she began, "what's up?"

"Well I was wondering something," the girl's tone was shy but there was a wide grin plastered onto that adorable face, one that strangely resembled Rick's, "if you aren't doing anything tomorrow I was thinking that maybe you'd want to come with Gram and I to the spa. If you don't want to it's fine. But you could bring Lanie if she wanted to come too and we could get massages and stuff like that." She was touched that Alexis had invited her to come along; she knew that that was usually something she did with either Martha or Meredith so Alexis letting her into that small circle was precious. The fact that the teenager had been so nervous about it was amusing, talking a mile a minute as if she wasn't sure she should be asking or not, as if Kate would ever turn time with Alexis down.

"I'd love to go." At this the girl's face lit up and she wrapped her into a big bear hug. After she let her go Alexis looked a little embarrassed to have sprung that amount of affection on her.

"Umm, sorry…" Alexis started to apologize but she would hear nothing of it.

"Alexis," she interrupted, "it's okay. I love spending time with you. And if you're sure your grandmother wouldn't mind me cutting into her time with you then it would be my pleasure to go. You don't have to apologize, sweetie."

Wait, sweetie? When had Alexis become sweetie? But by the amount of glee on Alexis' face she was pretty sure she'd said the right thing. Alexis went in for another hug, this one lasting longer than the last. When the girl pulled away she didn't look uncomfortable at all, in fact she looked completely at home.

"Great," happiness was practically radiating from her as she bounded off of the bed, "we'll leave right after breakfast tomorrow morning. And Kate? Thanks." With that statement and a whirl of red the girl was gone, leaving her to ponder when exactly she had become so comfortable with Rick's daughter. In the end she decided it didn't really matter when it had happened, just that it had. Honestly, she was glad it did. When it came to Alexis she wasn't really sure where she stood, and now that she and Rick were a couple she wasn't sure how much Alexis would want her to be in her life. But this, this explained exactly that to her. The young teen had just asked her to be a part of something she had only ever done with family, a ritual that was always meant for bonding. As she flicked the lights off and began to drift off to sleep all she could think about was how she could get used to this, being part of a family, more specifically being a part of his family.

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**Well, everybody knows the drill. Review, god dammit! Haha, but seriously I love reviews they make my day that much brighter. Now, who wants to brighten my day? **


	11. Proof

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really am touched that you all like this story so much and that I have so many dedicated people who both read and review each chapter. **

**Okay, well it's finally up. I'm sorry this took so long but I got so busy and then when I did have free time I just couldn't bring myself to write. Well, I could write, but not this particular story. You'll get more of an explanation at the bottom, just read for now. **

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"Do you love me?" She broke the kiss and sat straight up, still straddling him, her blouse still hanging loosely on her shoulders and her hair still sticking up at odd, beautiful angles. But her face was much different; it was vulnerable. Her eyes were swimming with emotion and fear, fear that his answer may not be what she wanted to hear. At this moment, there were no more layers to the Beckett onion; right now she was letting him see her core.

"Of course." There was no hesitation in his reply, mostly because in so many of his dreams she had asked him this before. And his reply had always been instantaneous, always the same.

"Good, because I love you too." A grin spread across her face and his face mimicked it. She reached down and rested her fingers on his cheek, fingertips ghosting along his cheek, jaw line and then his lips. Her eyes locked on his after a moment, communicating all she felt. He hoped his were doing the same, because even though he was paid to convey everything through words he wasn't sure that was possible right now.

The way her expression softened further and the emotion that was flaring to life in her eyes told him he'd succeeded. He reached up with both hands to cup her face, rubbing both thumbs on the skin beside her earlobes.

"Kate, I will love you forever. One day I'm going to ask you to marry me, and you will say yes. And then, decades later, we'll be sitting on that porch downstairs, both very wrinkly, but also very happy. I'll always love you, no matter what." This time, it was her reply that was instant.

"Prove it." Along with an arsenal of emotions she was just allowing to surface there was a slight twinkle to her eyes, a mischievous, teasing twinkle. Using both of the hands that were still holding her cheeks he pulled her towards him. Mouths met and hands roamed. Their movements languidly slow, loving. Each touch was an affectionate caress, every movement of their lips telling tales of devotion and sincerity. He rolled over on the bed, pinning her underneath his body. For once, she didn't make any sound of protest; she was relinquishing control. His hands stopped on the hem of her shirt, slowly ridding her body of the unneeded object. She had asked for proof, and proof he would give her.

He was rudely awakened by the sound of a knock at his door. He felt around the bed just in case, Kate was not there. He had had dreams where she starred before, but this was much different. Usually, those dreams were full of passion, of lust. But that, well what he had just dreamt of was much different. Another impatient knock on the door reminded him that someone was probably on the other side of it. Removing the covers and rising from his bed he made his way over to the door. Looking over at the clock on his bedside table he checked the time, did he oversleep or something? Nope, that wasn't it, unless now he was expected to get up by midnight. He threw the door open, anxious to see what was so important that he had to be woken up at 12:00 am, and in the middle of one of the best dreams he had ever had no less.

"Captain?" Sure enough, standing just outside his room was none other than Captain Montgomery. What the hell?

"Castle," the captain brushed past him into the room leaving him standing dumbfounded by an open door, "sorry to wake you, I was planning on doing this in the morning but I didn't know if it would be such a good idea to say what I want to say with everyone else roaming around the house."

"Um, and what exactly were you going to say?" He was curious, in fact now he was wide-awake. The man standing in front of him was the composed, wise captain of the 12th precinct. What could be so important that he was barging into his bedroom at midnight?

Montgomery sat down on the edge of his bed, obviously trying to figure out how to phrase this correctly. The captain began to play with the edge of the bedspread with one hand while the other rhythmically tapped his knee. After a moment, he looked up and found Rick's eyes, his own deadly serious.

"Listen, Castle," so that's exactly what he did, listen, "ever since Kate showed up at the precinct I've known there was something different about her; something special. She's more driven, more determined and more intuitive than most of the cops I've seen. Sure, she was a little bit broken when she first started but having to deal with the unsolved murder of your mother would do that to anyone. In fact, if it was anyone else who had faced that they would have shattered and never gotten themselves pieced back together. But not Kate; she's a fighter. She's strong and she picked up the pieces of her broken life to mend the puzzle. But for years I knew she wasn't completely fixed, there was still some pieces missing, some holes. She wasn't happy, not completely. But when you showed up, Castle, you began to fill in those holes, you repaired damage that had been there for almost a decade. Sure, in the beginning you annoyed the hell out of her, probably still do, but she doesn't want to shoot you anymore. I'd never seen her like this before, that's how I knew exactly what it was. She was happy with you, fully and completely. Whether she realized what happened or not, she fell in love with you. So what I'm trying to say here, Castle, is that if you hurt her, if you take away the happiness that she hasn't had for ten years, then I'm going to hurt you in ways you never thought possible. And I'm sure I'd have at least two talented detectives and a very skilled medical examiner helping. We all love her Castle, as a sister, as a best friend and, in my case, as a daughter. And if you hurt her, your whole world will be turned upside down."

He gulped and tentatively took a step back, he'd always known Montgomery had an intimidating side but he'd never seen it at its full force before. And he was pretty sure that was the point of this little late night talk. In fact, he felt a little nauseous, but was sure that was caused by thinking about hurting Kate. He'd never hurt her; he was completely and totally in love with her. The captain had been talking about how before he'd met Kate she had holes in her soul, in her heart; well he'd had some of his own. And, apparently just like he'd done for her, she'd filled those holes in one eye-roll at a time. Every teasing comment, each smile sent his way and every time she opened up to him just a little bit more repaired a hole until he was all patched up. So even if he were able to, he would never hurt her.

"Sir," he started a little hesitantly because frankly, he was a little scared, "I would never hurt Kate. I've never even felt this way about anyone before. She began filling in the craters my past left in my heart from the moment I started helping on our first case. I wouldn't dream of hurting that woman, that amazing woman. Because just like you do, I love her. I love her as a best friend, and I love her as so much more than that too."

The captain rose and began walking towards him; he held his ground even though he was terrified that his speech didn't impress Montgomery at all. Stopping a couple of feet from him Montgomery put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. All fear evaporated and he knew that the captain understood.

"You're a good man, Castle." Montgomery patted his shoulder before lowering the arm back to his side.

"Thank you, sir." He smiled back; he couldn't help the grin that was forming on his face. He was touched at just how concerned this man was for Kate's wellbeing. He, and the rest of the team, were Kate's family, and he had a feeling they were becoming part of his unorthodox family as well.

"Goodnight, Castle." Montgomery walked towards the door with a much more relaxed gait than when he had come in. Anybody could tell the captain was relieved, relieved that he had made his point and that he wouldn't have to be killing anyone any time soon.

"Night, sir." Castle offered a small, warm smile in the captain's direction. He was rewarded with one being sent his way too. Montgomery turned and was halfway out of the doorway when he suddenly stopped.

"Castle?" He questioned.

"Yes?" He answered; curious as to what else the captain had to say and, he had to admit, a little scared.

"I'm glad you two finally pulled your heads out of your asses." And with that, Montgomery was gone. He grinned yet again and headed back to bed, curious as to what he'd dream after he drifted back to sleep. Hopefully, it would be the same dream he'd been woken from, he could get used to that one.

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**When I wrote the last chapter I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the chapter after this one, but I couldn't figure out what to do with this chapter. I swear, I wrote and rewrote this so many times. And finally, I've settled on this. I always knew someone was going to have some sort of talk with Castle about Beckett, whether they knew about them dating or not. First it was Alexis, but since she just talked to Kate I decided against that. Then it was Martha, but I have bigger plans for Martha later on. Then thought maybe, as a little surprise, it could be Thereasa, Montgomery's wife. But then I decided they didn't know each other well enough. So then, after a lot of thought, I decided on Montgomery because he knows they're dating and and he's basically Kate's second father. **

**So what did you think of it? Do you think I made the right choice with Montgomery? Did you like his dream? I know I did. Did you think Montgomery was in character? Did you think Castle was in character? All these questions and many more are ones I would love to know the answers to. And, as always, if you have any suggestions just tell me and they might end up in the story. And don't worry, the next chapter will be up much faster than this one was.**


	12. Confessions

**See, I told you I would update much faster than last time. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, as always. I'm always very touched when I log into my e-mail account and find any number of reviews waiting. Just the idea that people are enjoying what I write is fabulous. It means so much that all of my wonderful reviewers take time out of their obviously busy days to tell me that they're enjoying this story, it makes me feel special. So now that I'm done babbling, go forth and read.**

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She awoke to the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore just a little ways away, rays of sun penetrating the curtains and disturbing her slumber. Pulling the comforter farther above her head in an attempt to block out the strings of thought telling her to get up. After a few moments of fighting it she decided she was wasting too much energy on something that she knew was only in vain. Contrary to popular belief, she was not a morning person. Sure, she covered up her yawns and displeasure when she had a job to do but when she had the chance to sleep in she reveled in it. Vacations were one of those times, and spending a nice weekend in a gorgeous house in the Hamptons was definitely classified as vacation. Pulling the covers from her body she shed her pajamas and crawled into the shower, warm water cascading down her body. Minutes later, when she hopped out of the loving embrace of the water, she got dressed, paying a little more attention to her hair and make-up than usual, and ventured downstairs.

The scent of her favorite caffeinated beverage hit her nostrils as she reached the bottom of the stairs; she perked up immediately and headed for the kitchen. Alexis and Rick were sitting on the countertop talking animatedly about how to get a dead body inside of a vending machine. She stopped for a moment and leant against the doorframe, just enjoying the sight of this normal father-daughter conversation. Well, normal for them anyway. She had to say, it was adorable.

"I guess this means you've started your next book then." She interrupted after a minute, seeing both the girl and the grown man's faces break out into identical grins as they turned to look at her made her face mimic theirs.

"Of course I have," Rick was the one to reply, "you were standing right here yesterday when I told Alexis how the inspiration was just flowing in."

"You know what else I'd like to be flowing?" She asked with a quirk of her lips and a raise of the eyebrow.

"What?" He had raised his eyebrow to match hers.

"Coffee." He immediately jumped to complete the new task, getting a mug out of the cupboard and pouring the dark liquid in the cup in record time. As he did this she moved to stand beside Alexis, offering the girl a large smile as she remembered their outing for today. Alexis grinned back and after a few moments got up, grabbed her orange juice and began to exit the room.

"I'm going to go get changed, then we can leave. Okay, Kate?" The teenager looked both hopeful and excited and her heart reacted accordingly, immediately warming.

"Sounds great, Alexis." Both women smiled and then the younger one was gone, leaving only a flash of red and a giggle in her wake.

"She's really something, Rick." Seeing that they were alone now she let the sound of his first name slip between her lips. He turned around, coffee cup in hand, and kissed her softly. Taken aback it took her a moment to understand what was happening but as soon as her mind comprehended her body responded accordingly, wrapping her arms around his neck to hold him close. Eventually he broke away; handing her the mug of steaming coffee while his forehead came to rest against hers.

"Kate," she just loved the way her name sounded when he said it, "you have no idea how happy you just made me."

"It was only a kiss, and I don't know about you but I've certainly had better ones." She had an idea of what he was talking about but couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him just a little bit. He smirked at her, leaning in for one last peck before pulling away completely.

"I'm going to ignore that one," he narrowed his eyes at her before a warm smile was plastered onto his face, "but seriously, it means the world to me that you like Alexis. Now, where are you going with my daughter today, off to spend all my money already? I'm beginning to think you only agreed to this relationship for my credit card."

"That's not the only reason," she caressed his forearm with her hand, "you have a nice ass too." Taking her hand off his arm she smacked his butt and walked out of the room.

"Good morning to you too!" She heard him yell from the kitchen while a large grin spread across her face.

She was sitting alone in a large tub full of mud and she had to admit, it was a little uncomfortable. Not that she wasn't enjoying herself, she loved spending time with Rick's family, but she was definitely not used to this. She was a detective, a detective of the NYPD. Nothing about her screamed spa. She wasn't accustomed to being doted on, or being taken care of, or just relaxing in general. Sure, when she was at home she'd sometimes indulge in bubble baths and a good book to relax but it didn't happen often. She wasn't used to this lifestyle, she was a tough as nails kind of girl and had always thought going to the spa was what the trophy wives of rich men did because they had nothing better to do. Every time an attendant came in to check if she needed anything, which was becoming a bit annoying, she'd look up to see if it were Alexis or Martha. She felt better when they were around, it was much more comfortable for her. The door clicked open and her head shot upwards, and this time it was none other than the Broadway diva herself.

"Hello, darling. I'm sorry I kept you waiting but that massage was just so wonderful, and the masseur wasn't so bad either." With a wink the older woman approached the tub, shucked her robe and climbed in.

"No problem, Martha. Where's Alexis?" She'd really enjoyed spending the day just talking to Alexis; she really was a wonderful girl. The teenager was like her father in so many ways that it was kind of scary but she also had qualities that definitely did not come from the great mystery writer.

"Oh, Alexis never liked mud bathes, thought they smelled weird. I hope you don't mind that it's only us."

"Not at all." She offered the woman a smile and closed her eyes; content to relax now that someone she knew was here with her.

They sat like that for a while, both in their own little worlds. She'd steal the occasional glance at Martha every once in a while but the older woman didn't seem to notice. Before she knew it her thoughts had strayed to Rick, they always did at some point. The way he'd looked at her this morning when she'd told him about how great Alexis was, she loved that look. And how he'd kissed her, oh, it just felt so good to be able to do that now. She could kiss Richard Castle. She could kiss Richard Castle because he loved her, and she loved him. She toyed with the idea of Rick being submerged in the mud with her, completely naked. Martha coughed and she was immediately alerted to the other presence in the room, the object of her thought's mother. The actress sitting in the bath with her didn't even know the two were dating and yet she was sitting here imagining what it would be like to have him here in the tub with her, all alone and bare of any clothing. She could feel her cheeks flushing and hoped Martha didn't notice.

"Detective," she opened her eyes and peered back at Martha, "can I ask you a question?"

"Only if you call me Kate."

"Kate," Martha seemed to be looking for the right words so she waited, "do you know why Richard is still shadowing you after two years?" Once the question was asked she immediately regretted saying yes, she could see where this was going. Anybody could see where this was going and given the unknown development in her and Rick's relationship over the last few days this conversation was going to be very awkward.

"Because he needs research for Nikki Heat." She decided to play dumb, prolong the inevitable.

"Oh come on, Kate. You're a smart woman, a detective no less. Richard is basing an entire series off of you and following you around all day, everyday, like a puppy that cannot be without his owner. What do you detect?"

"He's Castle, that's just what he does. He likes solving crimes, real ones. And I like having him there to solve them with me. We make a good team, but that's all we are, partners." She was quickly running out of excuses, Martha definitely had a point and if she were still in denial about her feelings towards Rick then this definitely would have opened her eyes.

"Kiddo," she didn't know why it felt so good when Martha called her that but for some reason her heart immediately melted, "I know you're not blind, I know you see it. And now it's a matter of acknowledging it. When you first met him you probably only saw him as an immature playboy, at times you still might see him as that, but in truth that's not who he is. He keeps that image up so that the people don't look for more, so they don't delve deep into the enigma that is Richard Castle, and by doing that he protects himself. But by now you've surely seen the other sides of him, who he actually is. He only shows the real him to people he really cares about. Darling, he cares deeply about you. I know that you've figured that out by now in some part of your brain, and I know that in your head you're denying that vehemently right now, but he truly cares. I'm not going to make you admit anything, or even acknowledge that any of what I just said is true, but let me ask you one more question. If he stopped following you, stopped seeing you everyday, stopped being there when you needed him, how would you feel?" Martha certainly knew how to drive home a speech. How would she feel? Unwanted, terrible, alone, foolish, like her heart had been ripped out and heartbroken were all possible choices. In fact, she was pretty sure the answer was all of the above. They sat there in silence for a while as she tried to reign in the effect that even the mention of his leaving her had.

"Broken," she was done lying, "I'd feel broken."

"He loves you, darling." Martha was rubbing her shoulder now, trying to soothe the confusion she thought her statement was causing. Instead, it just brought a small smile to her lips.

"I know," Martha seemed a little taken aback at how easily she seemed to admit to it, "I love him too."

"You need to tell him," Martha was still trying to ease her into this but she was just beginning to find the turn this afternoon was taking funny, if this talk had only come a few days earlier, "Richard is very persistent but he will give up sooner or later. And from what I've seen of Naked Heat he's already beginning to do so."

"I did." She couldn't help but let out a little laugh as Martha's face contorted into an expression of utter confusion.

"What?"

"I did tell him," she put her hands on each of Martha's arms, "We're dating."

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**Well, now somebody else knows. And it's Martha, the big-mouth diva. Can she keep a secret? So, this is the second to last chapter of the story. I'm sad this fic is coming to an end, but it's definitely time. **

**Review? If you read what's up at the top of this page then you know how it makes me feel. **


	13. Promises

**Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed I always appreciate every word of criticism and encouragement I can get. So, this is the final chapter, go on and enjoy it.**

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Celebration peppered the night sky with bursts of color and life as fireworks were launched and the Fourth of July parties began, all around them mansions equally as impressive as his swelled with guests and loud music but strangely, he was not throwing one of these parties, he was sitting on the beach with all of his closest friends and family, and he couldn't think of something he'd rather be doing. He was sitting with Kate; Alexis nestled between the two, as they watched the vibrant explosions in awe. As he looked around at his friends, all part of his family in some way or another, he couldn't think of a more picturesque moment. Montgomery and his family were all crowded together onto one beach towel, the reflections from the fireworks twinkling in each set of eyes. Lanie was sitting barefoot in the sand judging the sandcastle competition Ryan and Esposito were currently competing diligently in. And mother was sitting at his side, an arm wrapped around his. He was sad to see the weekend end, but even with his over indulgent imagination he couldn't think of a more perfect ending.

He caught Martha's eye and she grinned at him, offering him more silent congratulations. That same grin had been plastered on her face since she'd walked through the door of the house only to drag him outside and reprimand him for not telling her he had finally captured Kate's heart, in fact Kate said the grin had been there since she'd told mother. Apparently she had congratulated Kate in a way that would only fit the great Martha Rodgers, complete with grand toasts and high-pitched squeals. Alexis snuggled closer to his side and he felt a foreign arm draped over his daughter's shoulder. Looking over he discovered that the slender arm belonged to none other than Kate Beckett; the tough NYPD detective was nestled against his little girl while Alexis held an arm around the brunette's waist. The two most important people in the entire world to him were acting as if they'd known each other forever, as if they had a mother-daughter relationship. Feeling tears threatening to fall, exposing him for the softy that he truly is, he blinked a few times trying to hold them back.

A few escaped and slid down his cheeks right as Alexis turned to look up at him, concern immediately blooming on her angelic face.

"Dad," she reached up to wipe a tear away, "what's wrong?" He grasped her hand and laid their joined hands in between them.

"Nothing," he replied, "nothing is wrong at all. In fact, everything is perfect. I don't think even I could have written a happier ending to this weekend getaway." The girl immediately wrapped both arms around his torso and held him close, whispering that she too had had a great time. The sudden retreat of body warmth seemed to alert Kate that something had changed and she looked away from the sky and towards the pair, a warm smile immediately gracing her lips as she saw the two hugging. After a few minutes Alexis let go of him and immediately threw her arms around Kate, catching the detective by surprise. But she immediately hugged back, rubbing her hands on Alexis' back in an almost motherly way, but maybe that was just him being too hopeful.

"I'm really glad you came, Det-" upon seeing the raised brow from Kate Alexis amended, "Kate. We're both happy you're here. Maybe you can come visit again before the summer's over?" Alexis pulled back and looked up at Kate sheepishly, wrapping an arm around his waist as she settled back into her previous position.

"I'd like that Alexis," the brunette stated, "I'd like that a lot." His heart soared, as she not only looked at Alexis, but him too, an emotion he had only seen a few times reflecting in her eyes. He prided himself on being able to read her, but he realized that he'd seen that expression in those jade orbs far before this weekend; in fact it had been there for a while. Albeit he had only been allowed small glimpses at it, very infrequently too, but he'd seen it before though then he had no idea what it was, it was only now that he could identify it.

Abruptly getting up he pulled Kate up with him, walking far enough away that the others couldn't hear the conversation he wanted to have. Skepticism and surprise were evident on her face, but he disregarded that at the moment.

"You don't have to come visit if you don't go." Her eyes widened in surprise and she quickly looked behind her to make sure nobody heard.

"Rick," she half hissed half soothed, "I can't stay the entire summer, I have a job to do back in the city in case you've already forgotten about the precinct."

"Well," he quickly searched for a compromise, "can you stay the rest of the week? If you still don't want people to know we can just say Alexis invited you, but if you stay I do think we'll need to tell Alexis, she is my daughter after all. Come on; just stay a few more days. I like having you here, Alexis likes having you here even my mother likes it. And just think, if you get tired of me you'll have Alexis to be all girly with." Her eyes softened, it barely happened but he caught it. He was made to catch those things, the subtle stuff that made a giant difference in Kate. Hoped coursed through him as she allowed a small smile to come to her lips.

"Okay." She almost whispered it so he had to lean in to hear, and what he did hear he couldn't believe.

"Okay?" He was shocked; he never thought this impulsive little plan would actually work. Maybe, just maybe, she was actually letting him in. Instead of responding with words she responded with an action, plain and simple but in no way insignificant, and this time it was he who was taken by surprise. She leaned forward and planted her lips on his, cupping his face with one hand while the other strayed to his chest. He heard gasps and two very girlish squeals he presumed were his lovely daughter and a certain M.E. but didn't care, instead he ran his tongue along her bottom lip begging entrance. A plea that she granted, opening her mouth under his. All too soon she pulled away, leaving her hands where they were as her fingers stroked his jaw line.

His gaze strayed from her face to the group behind them and he almost laughed at what he saw. Lanie's eyes were wide and her mouth hanging open, while a grumbling Ryan was passing a wad of cash to the grinning Esposito behind him, Theresa had a smile on her face as she rubbed each sleeping boy's back and Alexis was beaming. But the two expressions he loved the most were the smug smirks on both mother and Montgomery's face.

"Oh my god! How could you not tell me?" Lanie's shriek pierced the stunned silence and he couldn't hold it in anymore, he burst out laughing. Kate followed his lead with little giggles of her own upon seeing the group of friends behind her.

"Calm down," she took her hand off of his face and held it up in an attempt to comfort her best friend, "it only happened yesterday."

"You are so going to pay for this," Lanie feigned anger, "but I want details as soon as possible. You are not keeping one single thing from me from now on! Do you understand, detective?" However Kate didn't get a chance to answer before an ecstatic teenage girl bombarded her. Wrapping both he and Kate in a giant hug, her excited screeches were enough to cause each person on that beach to go deaf.

"I'm so happy for you guys!" and Kate always worried about how Alexis would react, he knew she'd love it, "Oh my god, this is going to be great!" Kate laughed and hugged all the while staring down at Alexis' smooth fiery hair, running her fingers through it. Even though his vision was slightly compromised by his daughter's arm it was still a sight that melted his heart completely.

"You know, I can't believe you guys didn't figure it out. Especially you two," the captain pointed an accusing finger at Ryan and Esposito, "you are trained detectives after all. I expected more from you guys. 'Guess there's a reason Beckett's your boss." Both of the detective's mouths hung open as they tried to find a suitable reply.

"You knew?" Esposito regained his voice first.

"Well darling, it was all too apparent. I mean come on, you were there on the beach yesterday." Mother interjected while holding up a wine glass in his direction, smiling like the Cheshire cat the whole time.

"At least I made some money off of this," Esposito shrugged her comment off, "thanks guys. I'm glad to have made two-hundred bucks off of your relationship issues." The detective was immediately pinned with stares from the couple in question, Kate's being one that could kill while his was much more light-hearted. Montgomery stood and began to pour glasses of wine, and Diet Coke for Alexis and Marina, handing a glass filled with a generous portion to each person.

"I propose a toast," he held his own glass up to the sky as fireworks continued to ring out, "to friends, and to family. May we always stick together."

"And to love. May it last forevermore." All eyes shot to Alexis as she finished her contribution to the toast, his and Kate's probably being the widest. She simply smiled, clinked her glass with each person and took a small sip of her drink. This girl never ceased to amaze him, and it appeared she had inherited his way with words, he wouldn't have been able to say it better himself. His amazing daughter sat back down patting the ground, motioning for he and Kate to join her. The two quickly settled back into their places, though now Alexis was more in front of them than in between them. Kate's head rested on his shoulder as he held her hand tightly in his, Alexis' back resting on each of their shoulders while both wrapped their free arm around her body. Looking back up at the sky the bright explosions continued, scattering various glowing hues across the black canvas to mix with the shining stars, but he couldn't concentrate. His gaze kept straying to the two women at his side, the best things that ever happened to him. He loved them both with all he had; yes it was two different kinds of love, but love all the same. Each was a tough, caring, feisty woman he could only describe as extraordinary.

"I love you both so much." He leaned down whispering it into each ear, seeing broad smiles etch themselves on each face in return. And there it was, it was all out in the open. And now that everything was out there he could see their future clear as those fireworks in the sky, or the tears threatening to fall from Kate's eyes or even the complete contentment that was obvious on Alexis' face. Not only were their feelings standing in open ground, but also so were the promises and dreams of tomorrow, from both the near and very far future. A future he couldn't wait to spend with them.

_The End_

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**Well, it's been one hell of a ride my dear readers. I will definitely miss this story, I've really enjoyed writing it. Oh god, I'm getting all teary eyed. I think you should know I never get like that, ever. So feel very special that you are evoking that reaction because it's certainly a rare one. I'm not only going to miss this story, but all of my wonderful reviewers as well. I love all of you and will definitely feel a little empty without your excitement and anticipation to read everyday. **

**Though this particular fic is at its end it is certainly not the end of the story. I have a sequel all planned out, not sure when it'll be up but be on the lookout. For those of you who thrive on fluff it won't be as fluffy as this by far, it is time to test their relationship. It'll be filled with angst, confusion and well, some betrayal. Keep your eyes out for it, until then my wonderful readers. Until then.**

**Lastly, review? Come on, it's the final chapter I think this deserves even a few words thrown together in about two seconds. What do you think?**


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